By Richard Gibson: What Things Are Made OfThe story of America's dependency on mineral commodities (including oil) in everyday life. Buy the book. Print (312 pages): $17.95; electronic (PDF) $9.99. Additional e-versions details to come.visit the blog

Oil industry average profit margin is about 8.2%; (3rd Q. '05) for all US industry, the average is about 6.8%.Profits in the oil industry were easily outpaced by those of the Pharmaceuticals, Banks, Household Products, Software, Telecommunications, Semiconductors, Consumer Services, and Food, Beverage and Tobacco sectors.

For a comparison of the profit margins in the oil industry to other US businesses, click here for a PDF file from the American Petroleum Institute.